Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
Al Blanchard Short Crime Story Award	04/30/25	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Neutral free contest awards $100 prize, anthology publication, and New England Crime Bake conference admission for a short crime story, 5,000 words maximum, with a New England setting (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) or by a New England writer. Mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror genres all welcome. Enter up to two stories by email. Named after mystery writer Al Blanchard, who co-founded the annual New England Crime Bake regional writers' conference.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize	04/30/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$60,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$60,000 for novels or short story collections published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26; those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30; and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of eligible titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named after Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson, Writers' Trust co-founders.
CNO Naval History Essay Contest	04/30/25	Scholarly Essay	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards publication and two top prizes of $5,000 (one to a professional historian and one to a rising historian) for well-researched essays on a naval historical topic that "relates in some way to achieving and maintaining maritime superiority in today's competitive environment" and "provides readers with a lesson learned from history that can be applied to today". The Professional Historians category includes US and international professional historians (historian jobs including history museum curators, archivists, history professors, PhDs, published history authors); the Rising Historians category includes US Sea Service-wide active, reserve, retired, and civilians who cannot be classified as "professional historians". Author may submit multiple essays, maximum 3,500 words apiece in the Professional Historians category and maximum 3,000 words apiece in the Rising Historians category. Enter online.
Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers	04/30/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$12,000.00	Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$12,000 top prize for a debut book in any genre published in Canada between October 1, 2024 and September 30 of the deadline year by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26, those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30, and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of qualifying titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named in memory of editor, writer, and literary manager Dayne Ogilvie.
erbacce-prize for poetry	04/30/25	Poetry Manuscript	Active		Neutral
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest gives top prize of publication of the winner's collected poetry in a perfect-bound edition. Up to two runners-up will be published in either perfect-bound book or chapbook form, and four poets will be selected as "featured poets" in the quarterly poetry journal 'erbacce'. Sponsor prefers "poetry which is radical in form and/or content". Email a 5-page manuscript sample, which may include both published and unpublished poems. Based in Liverpool, UK, erbacce-press was established to give a voice to new and radical poets--those whose work may not have been accepted elsewhere.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction	04/30/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$75,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada gives top prize of C$75,000 for nonfiction published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when book was published: books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26; those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30; and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements.
Iridescence Award	04/30/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $500 and publication in Kinsman Quarterly for poems, stories, and flash fiction by authors aged 18+ who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Entries should have supernatural, extraterrestrial, or paranormal elements. Send 1-5 poems, stories of 1,000-5,000 words, or flash fiction up to 1,000 words.
Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth	04/30/25	Individual Poems	Active	C$450.00	Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Recommended free contest for Canadian citizens or residents attending junior high or high school awards top prizes of C$450 in each of two age categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Winning poems will be featured in a special edition chapbook slated for nationwide distribution. Submit 1 poem, 1 page maximum, online. Sponsored by The League of Canadian Poets.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers	04/30/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadlines April 30, June 30, August 31, October 31 (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $200 and web publication for essays, 1,000-5,000 words, by unpublished writers, defined as those whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Nonfiction categories are General, Biographical, Travel, and Animal. April 30 deadline is for entries in the Animal Nonfiction category; June 30 deadline is for entries in the General Nonfiction category; August 31 deadline is for entries in the Biographical Nonfiction category; and October 31 deadline is for entries in the Travel Nonfiction category. The Preservation Foundation is a Tennessee-based nonprofit with the goal of preserving the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. "Since our object is to preserve these stories for future generations, not to put them up one year and take them down the next, all contest entries will be posted on our website and must remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists." Submit up to 2 entries in each of the 4 nonfiction categories via email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	04/30/25	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.
Toronto Book Awards	04/30/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$10,000.00	Neutral
Deadline April 30 (don't enter before January 2). Neutral free contest for published books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto, published between May 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. The winning author is awarded C$10,000; shortlisted authors each receive C$1,000. There are no separate categories: novels, short story collections, books of poetry, biographies, histories, social studies, books about sports, children's/YA books, graphic novels, photographic collections, etc. are judged together. No reprints, textbooks, e-books, ghostwritten or self-published works. Publishers must submit six copies of the book for consideration. A brief description of how/why the book is evocative of Toronto must be included with each submission. Sponsored by Toronto Cultural Partnerships.
ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction	05/01/25	Short Fiction	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives $5,000 for a short story up to 5,000 words that "illuminates the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society". Open to US citizens or legal permanent residents age 21+. Entries may be unpublished, or published no earlier than December 1 of the previous year. Submit via email.
CINTAS Foundation Creative Writing Fellowship	05/01/25	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$25,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Recommended free contest awards a $25,000 fellowship to creative writers who are of Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). All genres compete together. Submit a 25-page sample of an original novel, play, short story, or poem(s). Proposals also should include two online forms, an artist's statement, a project statement, and two letters of recommendation. All materials may be written in English or Spanish.
Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award	05/01/25	Published Prose Book	Active	$25,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline May 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 20). Highly Recommended contest from the Interlochen Center for the Arts gives $25,000 top prize for a full-length prose book "that centers on the creative process of an artist or the arts--broadly defined--as its theme" and was published in the past two years (2023 and 2024 copyright dates are eligible for the 2025-deadline contest). Sponsor seeks fiction and nonfiction "that inspires, illuminates, or exemplifies the creative process in fields such as creative writing, dance, film and new media, music, theatre, and visual arts". Winner will also receive a multi-day residency at Interlochen Arts Academy and the opportunity to join The National Writers Series lineup. Self-published titles are ineligible. Publisher or author may nominate a book online; sponsor will contact finalists in September to request 7 hard copies and a PDF of those books selected for further review.
Rabbi Sacks Book Prize	05/01/25	Published Prose Book	Active	$10,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives $10,000 top prize for a recently or about-to-be published nonfiction book that contributes significantly to the arena of modern Jewish thought and heightens awareness of issues pertaining to the intersection of faith and modernity. Book must have a copyright in the current calendar year. Themes may include Jewish thought and philosophy, ethics, Jewish history, Jewish education, Jewish identity, contemporary Jewish practice and sociology, Jewish peoplehood, Israel from a religious perspective, or antisemitism. All manuscripts should be submitted by the publisher as both a Word document and a PDF file. Finalists will be asked to send 6 hard copies. No self-published books, translations, or re-issued books. Sponsored by the Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University.
Waterston Desert Writing Prize	05/01/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$3,000.00	Neutral
Deadline May 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 6). Neutral free contest from the High Desert Museum awards $3,000 and a reading in Bend, Oregon for "literary nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy--with the desert as both subject and setting". The prize is intended to help a writer "who is completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript focused on any desert region". Send 10-page nonfiction writing sample (published or unpublished), along with 1-page proposal description and 1-page biographical statement, via sponsor's online submission portal. Named in honor of Writing Ranch founder and author/poet Ellen Waterston.
Governor General's Literary Awards	05/15/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$25,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 15, May 15, July 15 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest awards prizes up to C$25,000 for best English-language and French-language books in each of 7 categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People's Literature (text), Young People's Literature (illustrated books), and Translation (from French to English or from English to French). Books must be first foreign or first Canadian edition trade books that have been written, translated, or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada aged 18+. Submission by publishers only. For each title, send one e-book and four hard copies along with the completed nomination form. Electronic submissions accepted in Fiction and Nonfiction categories, but one hard copy of nominated title must still be sent. See website for more details about eligibility and deadline requirements. Sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts.
James Laughlin Award	05/15/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Highly recommended free contest for a US poet's second book of 48-100 pages in length, under contract to a US publisher and forthcoming in 2026. The Academy of American Poets will award the winner $5,000, a weeklong residency in Miami Beach, FL, and buy 1,000 copies of the winning book for distribution to its members. Publisher should submit entry form online and upload PDF of manuscript with author's name removed.
SUSPECT Poetry Contest	05/15/25	Individual Poems	Active	$300.00	Neutral
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards online publication in SUSPECT (formerly called the Singapore Poetry Blog) and prizes up to $300 for poetry containing a particular word or words that change annually. For 2025, poems must include "the word 'fable' in an imaginative fashion". Submit 1-3 poems of any length, along with a brief bio, by email. No simultaneous submissions. Sponsored by Singapore Unbound, a New York City-based nonprofit that celebrates Asian authors. Prior to 2025, this contest was called the Singapore Poetry Contest.
Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize	05/16/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 2). Recommended free contest gives $5,000 prize to an LGBTQ mid-career novelist who has published at least three novels, or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays), and who shows both demonstrated ability as well as promise for growth in their writing. Nominees must submit a sample from an already published book, maximum 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work, maximum 10 pages. Applicants' contributions to the LGBTQ literary field beyond their writings and publications also will be considered. Sponsored by the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers	05/16/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 2). Recommended free contest gives two prizes of $1,500 each for LGBTQ authors who have published 1-2 books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Candidates' contributions to the LGBTQ literary field beyond their writings and publications will also be considered. Submit a writing sample of your strongest representative work (an excerpt of a larger piece or a stand-alone work, 10 pages maximum for poetry and 20 pages maximum for prose). In addition, supplemental literary work such as short stories and essays, or editing LGBTQ-themed anthology collections may be submitted for consideration. Submit your application, along with supporting materials, online. Sponsored by the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Creative Future Writers' Award	05/18/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	£75.00	Neutral
Deadline May 18 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from UK-based arts organization Creative Future gives anthology publication, mentorships, networking opportunities, and cash prizes up to 75 pounds for a poem (50 lines maximum) or prose piece (2,000 words maximum) on a theme that changes annually by underrepresented UK residents age 18+. Theme for 2025 is "Wild". Sponsor considers "talented creatives who face barriers to opportunities due to mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors, working-class backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQIA+, and Black, Asian, mixed heritage, or other global minority backgrounds or traveller communities" as "underrepresented writers". Writers must not have previously published a book/stand-alone publication via an established press/publisher in creative prose or poetry. You can submit only one piece of writing in one category (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction). Enter online, by email, or by mail.
GLCA New Writers Awards	05/25/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 25. Recommended free contest gives a reading tour of 12 Midwestern colleges, with a $500 honorarium per visit, for the US author of a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction that is the author's first published book in that genre. One winner in each category. Publisher should nominate a book online and then submit 4 copies of book along with signed author's statement agreeing to the terms of the campus visits. Publisher may enter only one work in each genre. Self-published titles accepted. Books must have been published in the US and bear a publication imprint of 2024 or 2025. Selection process favors recipients of major first-book awards.
Roscommon New Writing Award	05/26/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction	Active	€500.00	Neutral
Deadline May 26 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards two top prizes of 500 euros for a poem, 30 lines maximum, or a short story, 2,000 words maximum, by a writer aged 18+ with a strong connection to Roscommon, Ireland: e.g. birth, current or former residency, education, or employment. Winning entries will be published in the Roscommon Herald. Send up to two entries (one per genre) along with an explanation of your connection to the county by email. Sponsored by the Roscommon County Council.
Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse	05/30/25	Poetry Manuscript Prose Manuscript	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama gives $500 and publication for a novel-in-verse, 90-160 pages. Send the manuscript as a Word attachment including contact information, brief bio, and letter to jwt@uwa.edu. List Novel-in-Verse on your subject line.
Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers	05/30/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 30). Neutral free contest gives a $1,000 scholarship for a 500-word essay by a woman commencing or continuing to pursue a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the following academic year (e.g. 2025-26 for the contest with May 2025 deadline). See themes on website. Contest sponsor and judge Lucas Aykroyd is a Canadian journalist and travel writer. He created this award to thank the female colleagues and mentors who have supported his writing career. It is named for a strong female character in the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia".
A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest	05/31/25	Scholarly Essay	Active	$400.00	Neutral
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 1). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $400 for essays by students between the ages of 14-18 on an animal rights topic. In both the 16-18 year olds and the 14-15 year olds categories, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. Writers must be enrolled in middle or high school or be homeschooled. Submit entry online. Co-sponsored by the Humane Education Network, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Palo Alto Humane Society.
Black Orchid Novella Award	05/31/25	Prose Chapbook	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31. Recommended free contest gives $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine for the best traditional mystery novella. Entries should be 15,000-20,000 words. See website for thematic and stylistic restrictions. Essentially, they are looking for an old-fashioned story of deduction, with a witty style and an engaging relationship between the characters, and no overt sex or violence. Enter online. Contest co-sponsor The Wolfe Pack is the official fan club for Nero Wolfe, a legendary fictional sleuth created by Rex Stout in a series of mystery novels published from 1934 to 1975.
bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award	05/31/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	C$4,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 31). Recommended free contest awards C$4,000 to the Canadian author and C$500 to the publisher of the best English-language poetry chapbook, 10-48 pages long, published in Canada in the preceding year. Limit of 10 chapbooks per publisher. Author or publisher should submit 3 copies of book plus author's curriculum vitae and completed submission form by Canada Post or courier. Contest now administered by Meet the Presses (formerly Phoenix Community Works Foundation). Named for the late poet, novelist, and indie publisher bpNichol.
Furphy Literary Award	05/31/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction	Active	A$15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 1). Recommended free contest for Australian residents gives prizes up to A$15,000 for adults, A$300 for junior and youth entrants (limited to Goulburn Valley residents). Adult authors should send one story, maximum 5,000 words. See length limits on website for youth poetry and fiction entries. Contest honors Joseph Furphy (1843-1912), pseudonym Tom Collins, an Australian author whose novels combine an acute sense of local Australian life and colour with the eclectic philosophy and literary ideas of a self-taught workingman.
James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Awards	05/31/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	C$2,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards up to six prizes of C$2,500 for poems, short stories, and essays celebrating Indigenous culture by Indigenous students under the age of 18 who reside and attend school in Ontario. All genres compete together. There are two age categories (up to age 12, ages 13-18) as well as three geographic categories (fly-in community, on reserve, off reserve). A junior and senior winner are chosen from each geographic category. Entries may be of any length. Submit online. Include your creative writing piece, brief description of what inspired you, and contact information for your parent/guardian and school representative. Sponsored by Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest	05/31/25	Short Fiction	Active	$150.00	Neutral
Deadlines January 31, May 31, and September 30 (must be received by these dates). Thrice-yearly free neutral contest awards $150 and web publication for short fiction. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film, and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-20th century America. Entries should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. Submit a story of up to 4,000 words (3,000 words is ideal), along with a brief 100-word story synopsis, by email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	05/31/25	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.
Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant	05/31/25	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest awards one grant of $1,000 for unpublished writing samples (poetry, drama, fiction, or nonfiction) by writers aged 50+ who are just starting to write professionally. Submit a sample of up to 10 pages of poetry or drama, or 5,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction. Along with your writing sample, send a 500-word autobiographical statement as well as a bibliography of any previously published work. If sending a segment of a novel, novella, or novelette, include a 1-page synopsis. See website for other submission requirements. Enter online.